Electrical sparking igniter.



No. 799,199. PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903. 0.'W. MILLER.

ELECTRICAL SPARKING IGNITER.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 21, 1903.

30 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Shunt yfi f 99,

No. 739,199. PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903 c. w. MILLER. ELECTRICAL SPA'RKINGIGNITER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1903. no MODEL. a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED SEPT. 15,, 1903.

c. w. MILLER. ELEGTRIGAL SPARKING IGNITER.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 21, 1903.

no MODEL,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES Fatented September 15, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CAREY W. MILLER, OF ALBION, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO WM. D. BRUNDAGE AND E.O. LESTER, OF ALBION, MICHIGAN, COPARTNERS.

ELECTRICAL SPARKlNG IGNITER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,199, datedSeptember 15, 1903.

Application filed January 21, 1908. Serial No. 140,009. (No model.)

4 city of Albion, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical SparkingIgniters, of which the following is a speci-.

- fication.

This invention relates to improvements in gasolene electrical sparkingigniters. It re lates particularly to the sparking device for an engineand the method of controlling the same whereby an engine can be readilystarted without causing it to perform a full revolution and whereby thetime of the sparking with relation to the movements of the piston isreadily controlled to regulate the engine for fast or slow speed, itbeing well understood that when a gasolene-engine is running at a highrate of speed it must ignite earlier in the stroke to secure the bestresults than when it is running at a low rate of speed.

Objects relating to the details of construction will readily appear fromthe detailed description to follow.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and meansdescribed in the following specification.

The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims.

nying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1is a front elevation view of a horizontal gas or gasolene engine to,which my improved sparking meansis applied. Fig. 2 is a detail planView of the structure appearing in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsectional view through the cylinder-head,taken on a line correspondingto line 3 3 of Figs. 1 and 4. Fig. 4 is an end elevation view of thecylinder-head, the relation of the interior parts which appear in Fig. 3being indicated by dotted lines.

In the drawings the sectional views are taken looking in the directionof the little arrows at the ends of the section-lines, and similarletters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the lettered parts of the drawing, A is the base, whichcarries the remaining parts of the engine.

' B is the cylinder, and B the cylinder-head. On the cylinder-head arecarried a stationary electrode 0 and a movable electrode 0'. To themovable electrode 0 is secured a lever O for actuating the same. Thelever O is actuated by means of a plunger-rod D, which has a springconnection therewith. The plunger-rod D extends into contact with thecam I on the cam-shaft K of the engine and is actuated thereby toproperly release the plunger and permit the spring to break the 7connection between the electrodes 0 O. A lever II is provided with aforked upper extremity in which the plunger D rests for adjusting theend of the plunger-rod D up and down, whereby it will be released atdifferent intervals, this enabling the regulation of the sparking, bythe mere manipulation of this lever, to time the same properly for ahigh or low rate of speed. On the plunger-rod D is a notch d, and apawlE is provided which engages this notch cl, thus holding theelectrodes O G into close contact. This pawl E extends out over thecam-shaft K, but is offset longitudinally of the shaft, so that it doesnot contact with the cam I, but extends across the shaft to one side ofthe same. A second cam F is provided on the shaft K, which is slightlyin the rear of the cam I in the direction of its rotation and ispositioned to strike the pawl E when the balance-wheel of the engine isswung backward in advance of the sparking cams actuation of the sparkingdevice, so that the sparking device will be operated, in the firstinstance, by this cam F releasing the sparking device independent of theregular sparking cam.

In starting the engine the plunger-rod D is 0 pushed over to one side tosuch an extent that the pawl E engages the notch d therein. A charge ofgasolene or other explosive mixture is then introduced into thecylinder, the same being ready for ignition, that being accom- 5 plishedby putting a small quantity of gasolene into the charging-cup L or inany other suitable way. The engine is then swung backward until the camF strikes the pawl E, lifting the same out of the notch d on theplunger-rod roe D. This permits the rod to strike back, causing theelectrodes to separate and the charge to be ignited. This gives theengine its first impulse,and thereafter the ignition is secured by theend of the plunger-rod D passing off from the cam I. As the cam I nevercarries the rod D back far enough for the pawl E to engage with thenotch (I, the same does not engage the notch and is out of operationafter the initial spark. By rocking the lever II the timing of thesparking is very exactly regulated, as will be seen from an inspectionof Fig. 1.

The usual governor is provided for controlling the engine; but as myinvention does not pertain particularly to the governor mechanism I havenot lettered or described the same in my drawings.

I desire to remark that the structure I have illustrated as embodying myinvention can be greatly varied in its details without departing from myinvention,although I believe the exact form in which I have illustratedthe same is .very ciiective and is worthy of specific claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electrical sparking igniter,the combination with a suitableengine-cylinder of the head with electrodes thereon, one of which ismovable; a plunger-rod connected to the movable electrode with asuitable spring attached thereto for breaking the connection; a camshaftwith a cam for acting upon the end of the plunger-rod positioned torelease it at the proper time for generating the spark; a lever suitablyconnected to the plunger-rod for adjusting it laterally in relation tothe cam for varying the time of the spark; a pawl E adapted to engage anotch (Z on the plunger-rod and hold the same out of engagement with thesparking cam; a second cam on the said camshaft, positioned to the rearof the sparking cam, and positioned to contact with the said pawl E. torelease the same on the backward throw of the engine, whereby instarting the engine, it will be necessary only to move it backward tosecure slight compression, when the sparking device will be released andbrought into action, all coacting substantially as described and for thepurpose specified.

2. In an electrical sparking igniter,the combination with a suitableengine-cylinder of the head with electrodes thereon, one of which ismovable; a plunger-rod connected to the movable electrode with asuitable spring attached thereto for breaking the connection; a camshaftwith a cam for acting upon the end of the plunger-rod positioned torelease it at the proper time for generating the spark; a pawl E adaptedto engage a notch d on the plungerrod and hold the same out ofengagement with the sparking cam; a second cam on the said cam-shaft,positioned to the rear of the sparking cam, and positioned to contactwith the said pawl E to release the same on the backward throw of theengine, whereby, in starting the engine, it will be necessary only tomove it backward to secure slight compression, when the sparking devicewill be released'and brought into action, all coacting substantially asdescribed and for the purpose specified.

3. In an electrical sparking igniter,the combination of anengine-cylinder; a pair of electrodes within the cylinder, one of whichis movable; a spring connection for separating the electrodes to breakthe circuit and induce a spark; a plunger-rod connected to the saidmovable electrode; a suitable cam for actuating the same; a pawl toengage the plungerrod and hold the same out of contact with the sparkingcam; a second cam to contact with the pawl and disengage the plunger-rodon a backward throw of the engine to release the same, thereby ignitingthe engine and permitting the sparking device to come into operation, asspecified.

4:. In an electrical sparking igniter,the com bination of an engine-cylinder; electrodes within the same, one of which is movable; acam-shaft; a connection from the said movable electrode to a cam on thesaid cam-shaft; a catch for holding the electrodes in contact with eachother and disengaged from the sparking cam; and a second cam on thecamshaft timed slightly in the rear of the sparking cam to release thecatch, whereby the engine can be started on a partial compression, andthe sparking device be thrown automatically into operation, for thepurpose specified.

5. In an electrical sparki11gignite1.',tl1e combination of an enginecylinder; electrodes within the same, one of which is movable; acam-shaft; a connection from the said movable electrode to a cam on thesaid cam-shaft; a catch for holding the electrodes in contact with eachother and disengaged from the sparking cam; and a trip on the cam-shaft,timed slightly after the sparking cam to release the catch, whereby theengine can be started on a partial compression, and the sparking devicebe thrown automatically into operation, for the purpose specified.

6. In an electrical sparking igniter,the combination of an enginecylinder; electrodes within the same, one of which is movable; acam-shaft; a connection from the said movable electrode to a cam on thesaid cam-shaft; a catch for holding the electrodes in contact with eachother and disengaged from the sparking cam; and an adjustable tripmeans, timed slightly after the sparking cam to release the catch,whereby the engine can be started on a partial compression, and thesparking device be thrown automatically into operation, for the purposespecified.

7 In an electrical sparking i gniter,the com bination of theenginecylinder; electrodes within the cylinder; means for deliveringcurrent therethrough controlled by movable parts of the engine; a catchto support the same in an inoperative position; and a trip carried by amovable part of the engine timed after the sparking means, whereby theengine can be Started on a partial compression and the sparking devicebe thrown automatically into operation, for the purpose specified.

8. In an electrical sparking igniter, the combination of the enginecylinder; electrodes within the cylinder means for controlling thecurrent therethrough controlled by the movable parts of the engine; acatch to support the controlling means in an inoperative position; atrip carried by a movable part of the engine, positioned to strike thecatch and re- CAREY w. MILLER. [n s.]

Witnesses:

EARLE KNIGHT, O. J. DOWLING.

